The Irish in St. Louis

About this book

It took a long time before St. Louis finally accepted its Irish population. When the first waves of Famine Irish arrived on the landing in the 1840s the city was appalled by their poverty. As subsequent waves of Irish fled political oppression after the Civil War anti-Catholic sentiment sparked bloody riots in which the Irish gave as good as they got. But after seven centuries of enslavement in their own country nothing would stop them from creating a place in their adopted city. The story of their assimilation is as multifaceted as the Irish character itself. From Shanty to Lace Curtain introduces us to a range of St. Louis Irish from priests like Timothy Dempsey and Charles Dismas Clark (the Hoodlum Priest) to gangsters from the Bottoms Gang and Egans Rats. We meet artists and revolutionaries entrepreneurs and entertainers. It takes us to the rough and tumble neighborhoods of 19th-century Kerry Patch and Dogtown where immigrants and their children forged paths into the citys mainstream while preserving their Irish identity. We visit contemporary Irish St. Louis where Irish dance and music thrive. At McGurks Pub and the Pat Connolly Tavern we discover what makes an Irish pub truly Irish. We also learn the behind-the-scenes story of why St. Louis has two St. Patrick Day Parades. Local author and artist Patrick Murphy uses photos interviews and photos to compile this comprehensive collection dedicated to the Irish immigrants who helped make St. Louis what it is today.